DeepSeek Aids China's Military and Evaded Export Controls, US Official Says (reuters.com)
- Reference: 0178150973
- News link: https://slashdot.org/story/25/06/23/1515222/deepseek-aids-chinas-military-and-evaded-export-controls-us-official-says
- Source link: https://www.reuters.com/world/china/deepseek-aids-chinas-military-evaded-export-controls-us-official-says-2025-06-23/
> AI firm DeepSeek is [1]aiding China's military and intelligence operations , a senior U.S. official told Reuters, adding that the Chinese tech startup sought to use Southeast Asian shell companies to access high-end semiconductors that cannot be shipped to China under U.S. rules. The U.S. conclusions reflect a growing conviction in Washington that the capabilities behind the rapid rise of one of China's flagship AI enterprises may have been exaggerated and relied heavily on U.S. technology.
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> [...] "We understand that DeepSeek has willingly provided and will likely continue to provide support to China's military and intelligence operations," a senior State Department official told Reuters in an interview. "This effort goes above and beyond open-source access to DeepSeek's AI models," the official said, speaking on condition of anonymity in order to speak about U.S. government information. Chinese law requires companies operating in China to provide data to the government when requested. But the suggestion that DeepSeek is already doing so is likely to raise privacy and other concerns for the firm's tens of millions of daily global users.
[1] https://www.reuters.com/world/china/deepseek-aids-chinas-military-evaded-export-controls-us-official-says-2025-06-23/
Always be skeptical (Score:4, Insightful)
...about anything coming from "a senior U.S. official " in today's political world
Re: (Score:3)
Meanwhile.
[1]https://tech.slashdot.org/stor... [slashdot.org]
[1] https://tech.slashdot.org/story/25/06/19/0046242/silicon-valley-execs-join-the-army-as-officers
Re: (Score:2)
Like when Elvis wanted a DEA badge from Nixon so he could travel with drugs and guns. [1]https://www.smithsonianmag.com... [smithsonianmag.com]
It appears little has changed.
[1] https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/when-elvis-met-nixon-69892425/
Re: (Score:2)
It soon may change as Trump is proposing a merger of the DEA and ATF.
Re: Always be skeptical (Score:1)
And that's bad? If reduces waste by combining duplicates jobs and increases productivity
Sounds like (Score:2)
Sounds like somebody's looking for an excuse to sanction somebody else ;-)
Do you think they have a choice? (Score:2)
You can't be not willingly in China if you produce such important tech.
Re: (Score:3)
Just like all the US companies that have rushed to get military contracts with the Pentagon also have a choice.
Re: (Score:1)
Quite different. Chinese law requires that Chinese people, everywhere, must aid Chinese intelligence services when asked .
Re: Do you think they have a choice? (Score:2)
At least they have it written as a law, what you get in the USA is a secret court order telling you that you have to do this and you can't talk to anyone about it... Power corrupts and absolute power absolutwy corrupts.
Re: (Score:2)
In the USA they just jail you for insider trading. [1]https://www.washingtonpost.com... [washingtonpost.com] Who really gets in trouble for insider trading? All of congress is in on it.
[1] https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-switch/wp/2013/09/30/a-ceo-who-resisted-nsa-spying-is-out-of-prison-and-he-feels-vindicated-by-snowden-leaks/
Re: Do you think they have a choice? (Score:1)
And in China you get disappeared for speaking out against the CCP
Re: (Score:2)
a project of mine needs magnets that are only produced in China. I am 'dead in the water' for that project. I guess Ford had to shut down a line. They want our chips, and we need their magnets and rare earths. I'm going to be patient and wait it out to see who blinks first. My guess is that TACO will blink when the big 3 automakers are closed down.
Re: Its China. Of course they would lie/cheat/stea (Score:1)
Gee never heard this before. Oh what I have during the last administration.
Re: Its China. Of course they would lie/cheat/stea (Score:1)
[1]https://youtu.be/RDrfE9I8_hs [youtu.be]
[1] https://youtu.be/RDrfE9I8_hs
Ditto (Score:2)
Chinese law requires companies operating in China to provide data to the government when requested.
American law requires companies operating in America to provide data to the government when requested.
Neither government is particularly trustworthy.
Re: (Score:2)
> Chinese law requires companies operating in China to provide data to the government when requested. American law requires companies operating in America to provide data to the government when requested. Neither government is particularly trustworthy.
Exactly. At least with DeepSeek I have the option to run their models locally where it can't be shared with any government short of them coming to my office, taking my laptop, and somehow compelling me to give them access or breaking the device encryption.
Re: (Score:1)
"American law requires companies operating in America to provide data to the government when requested."
Outside of a NSL, US companies quite often say 'No' to the government. Telling the government its request is too broad or they need a subpoena/warrant.
Re: Propaganda (Score:2)
A lot more than anything coming from the CCP.
They are a Chinese company (Score:3)
What did you expect them to be doing?
Re: (Score:2)
Exactly, what ever other country does: Find ways the barriers of aquisition or entry. And if that does not work, join with others with common goals.
The US did this to England during the 19th century industrial revolution. It works!
Re: (Score:2)
At the very least to stop "destroying the value" of outfits like OpenAI, Palantir and all other llamas and gemini by publishing opensource efficient LL models.
Re: They are a Chinese company (Score:1)
They didn't even need AI to make it work